Egyptian health authorities on Tuesday quarantined two people at the eastern Safaga Port on suspicion of contracting the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome
CAIRO – Egyptian health authorities on Tuesday quarantined two people at the eastern Safaga Port on suspicion of contracting the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), commonly known as coronavirus.
Two men showed symptoms of the virus ahead of boarding a ship coming from Saudi Arabia, spokesman of the Red Sea port authority Abdel-Rahim Mustafa told Anadolu Agency.
Tuesday's cases take to five the number of suspected MERS infections discovered in Egypt in two days.
Earlier Tuesday, health authorities quarantined an Egyptian man suspected of contracting the virus.
Two people had also been quarantined in the eastern Safaga Port Monday over suspected coronavirus infections.
Along with Saudi Arabia, coronavirus has been reported in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Tunisia, Jordan and Oman.
MERS, for which no known cure is available, destroys the lungs and kidneys.
Symptoms, which include persistent fever and cough, are similar to those associated with the SARS virus.
It is presumed that long-term physical contact can lead to infection.
Egypt reported its first coronavirus infection on April 26 for a 27-year-old engineer coming from Saudi Arabia.
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